Our Lutsen Vacation

On May 31st we headed out of town on our first Slominski family vacation with Owen. Not wanting to venture too far or undertake too much with a 21 month old toddler and a 20 week pregnant Mama, we rented a two bedroom cabin in Lutsen on Lake Superior. Owen had his own room and slept like a champ - probably because he was so worn out from some long days of hiking!
The day we arrived it was only 50 degrees! Brrrr!! Luckily as the days went on, it warmed up to the perfect temperature for hiking.

Day 2 of our trip it was still a bit cold. We had some fun playing around the cabin in the morning and then ventured outside to check out the scenery around our resort...
Being the big boy that he is, Owen insisted on walking everywhere on his own. There was no getting him into the backpack carrier we were planning to use...

Owen loved being outside so much that he kept dragging us further and further down the trail as we tried over and over again to steer him back to the resort for lunch. After lunch Owen conked out for a long afternoon nap and then we were off again. This time we headed out to the Temperance River Cauldron...


After all the walking, we were ready to call it a day and headed back to our cabin for some rest and relaxation.

Day 3 started with a hike of the Oberg Loop. The trail was not conducive to strollers which meant Shane got quite a work out!

Which way do we go, Owen??

The hike was slow going with Owen and I keeping things at a relaxed pace stopping to have snacks, take photos, and enjoy the scenery...

Owen loved feeling the wind blow through his hair. On windy days he always raises his hands trying to catch that sneaky wind!

The 2 mile loop had fabulous views of surrounding hills and Lake Superior as the trail circled the peak of the mountain.


After 2 1/2 hours of walking, we were all getting pretty tuckered out. Owen fell asleep in Shane's arms. And Shane and I started to wonder if we were lost! Just how long does it take to walk 2 miles? Well, in our case, it takes 3+ hours! We eventually emerged from the loop and headed to the cabin. No more hiking for us! We were exhausted!

That evening, we took a drive up to Grand Marais for dinner. We walked around town and Owen happily enjoyed the views from his stroller. He sure didn't want us to stop walking! The little stinker got mad and would kick his legs every time we stopped to chat or take a photo.After a delicious pizza at Sven and Ole's, we headed back to our resort to enjoy the pool...
Day 4 we awoke bright and early and headed out on the 2 1/2 mile Brule River hike to see the Devil's Kettle waterfall.

The Brule River

The hike was beautiful and a bit challenging at times. There are over 200 steps that lead you to the waterfalls.

Our next stop was Grand Portage State Park on the US/Canadian border. The park has the state's tallest waterfall cascading 120 feet over a sheer basalt wall. It was well worth the trip! The path was paved so Owen was able to ride in style in his stroller. And the falls were absolutely breathtaking!!
On our way back to the cabin, we stopped off at the Cascade River Walk...

After another jam packed day, we headed back to our cabin for some much needed rest.

Day 5, the last day of our vacation, was an easy going day. Spent the morning relaxing in the cabin...
...then we packed up and were on our way. We stopped to have lunch and some delicious pie at Betty's Pies followed by a quick stop at Gooseberry Falls...
We had a fabulous time up North and can't wait to return!